Hallidie Building facts for kids
|
Hallidie Building
|
|
The Hallidie Building in 1981
|
|
| Location | San Francisco, CA |
|---|---|
| Built | 1918 |
| Architect | Willis Polk |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000185 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | November 19, 1971 |
The Hallidie Building is an office building located in the Financial District of San Francisco, California. You can find it at 130 Sutter Street, between Montgomery Street and Kearny Street.
This building was designed by a famous architect named Willis Polk. It was named after Andrew Smith Hallidie, who was a pioneer in creating San Francisco's cable cars. The Hallidie Building first opened its doors in 1918.
It's often said to be the first American building with special "glass walls" called curtain walls. However, another building, the Boley Clothing Company building in Kansas City, Missouri, actually had these glass walls earlier, in 1909.
A Special Design
The Hallidie Building is famous for its unique design. It has a front made almost entirely of glass. This glass "curtain wall" hangs from the building's frame, like a curtain. It's different from traditional walls that hold up the building. This design lets in a lot of natural light.
Fixing Up the Building
The Hallidie Building went through a big repair project. This restoration took two years and finished in April 2013. The city's building department decided that some parts of the building were not safe. These parts included the metal decorations, ledges, balconies, and fire escapes. So, they had to be fixed to make the building safe again.
Who Uses the Building?
Today, many different groups have offices in the Hallidie Building. The San Francisco branch of the American Institute of Architects is located here. They are also working to update the ground floor. This area will soon have an art gallery, a place for talks, and a cafe. These new spaces are planned to open in 2021.
Other organizations also have offices in the building. These include AIGA, the Center for Architecture + Design, Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc., and Coordinated Resources, Inc.
